Sands of Time
by lightningpelt
Summary: Far in the future, when Suna and Konoha are one, a determined underdog and an outcast Jinchuriki may be the only hope for peace. A boy's dream to become a puppetmaster may tear his family apart… and overseeing it all is a Hokage named Orochimaru. AU
1. CACTI Chapter One

**(A/N) Greetings to readers new and old! Welcome to my fireside circle! I have here a tale of two villages joined into one; I have here a tale of deceit and power-hungry leaders; I have here a tale of hope and friendship, a tale of brotherhood and bravery. Come and listen, I implore you. You won't regret it. **

**All theatrics aside, Gaara, Lee and Kankuro will be the stars of this fic, with large parts also played by Naruto, Temari, Orochimaru, Kakashi, Sasori, and many, many others. Another side of Shukaku may well be revealed, and Kyubi… well, it doesn't exist. Never liked that fox to begin with. :P **

**I hope you'll enjoy "Cacti," part one of Sands of Time. **

**I do not own Naruto or any of the characters featured here. **

"Lee!"

I jumped at my sensei's call and tried to turn, but only succeeded in losing my balance. The already precariously balanced stack of books toppled from my arms, and I followed them, bouncing down the stairs with a series of painful thuds. Several other students paused to laugh at me, but none stopped to help. I was used to it; such things happened at least once a day. I sat up, rubbing the back of my head, embarrassed.

My sensei trotted down the stairs to join me, smiling behind the mask that he always wore. "Lee, you have got to be the clumsiest boy I've ever had the displeasure of teaching."

I smiled, not minding his abuse. "I'm okay," I murmured, gathering up my books as quickly as I could manage. "Sorry Kakashi-sama!"

"Let me tell you," Kakashi continued, "that I won't hesitate to recommend holding you back. Or, better yet, sending you back to elementary school. Perhaps you would benefit from returning to third grade."

I chuckled. "Don't worry, Kakashi-sama! I'll pass this semester if it kills me!"

The teacher chuckled as well. "Everybody would certainly be better off."

"Yeah, we would."

I felt something flick me on the back of the head and turned, but by the time I did he was already beside Kakashi. I swiveled back around and met his mocking gaze.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun!" I greeted him.

The dark haired boy tossed his head. "You're a slacker. You can't even use ninjitsu or genjutsu; how do you expect to pass this semester?"

I bristled; taking abuse from an honored teacher was one thing, but from a fellow student was intolerable, and my arch rival, at that…! Yet with Kakashi there, I didn't dare challenge him.

"Don't talk to my student like that." I felt a steady hand on my shoulder, and glanced up at the grinning face of my _other_ teacher. A goofy smile spread over my face.

Kakashi sighed tiredly. "Gui, why do you invest so much in this boy? He might show promise in taijutsu, but this is a specialty school… one for _ninjitsu_. The boy can't pass on taijutsu alone."

Gui-sensei smiled down at me. "I believe that he _can, _Kakashi. I have great faith in him."

I felt my heart swell at Gui-sensei's confidence in me. Sasuke's derisive sniff distracted me.

"He's doomed to fail," the other student said.

"I am not!" I snapped back. "I _will_ become a splendid ninja!"

Sasuke scoffed. "You're deluded. And, worse, doomed to fail."

I bristled, but Gui-sensei squeezed my shoulder gently.

"I'll tell you what, Kakashi," my sensei said levelly. "We're always competing; why don't we have our students compete, too?"

Kakashi smiled and cocked his head. "I like where this is going. What do you propose?"

Gui-sensei's eyes glittered. "Your Sasuke against my charming Lee; one week. Then we'll see who the most worthy student is."

"If Lee loses, he'll leave this school in disgrace," the other teacher said. I stiffened, but Gui-sensei wasn't ruffled.

"Of course. And if he wins, Sasuke will admit what a splendid ninja my lovable student is. He'll proclaim it to the whole school."

I twitched anxiously.

"Very well," Kakashi said happily, patting Sasuke on the head. "A week, you said?"

My rival smiled cruelly. "I'll see you in a week, then."

I swallowed nervously. "And I'll b-beat you!" I declared, but there was a slight tremble in my voice. It didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke.

"You are as good as _expelled,_" he said nastily, and walked away beside Kakashi, chuckling darkly to himself.

I shivered. "G-Gui-sensei… why did you…?"

Gui-sensei laughed lightly, kneeling down in front of me. His eyes sparkled with the spirit that I so admired.

"Because I am proud of you, Lee. You are my protégé, my most valuable and talented student. And I _know_ that you can beat Sasuke."

I felt myself grow slightly stronger. "Thanks. But… but what if I lose…?"

Gui-sensei chuckled. "If you lose… then I'll quit my job here and come to train you! I'll exile myself with you!"

I felt my smile return. "You're the best, Gui-sensei! I won't let you down!"

"Promise?" he asked.

"Promise!" I said, winking.

Then, I threw my arms around him, the one person who truly believed in me. I _wouldn't _let him down. A fire built in me. In a week's time…

I would prove that I could become a splendid ninja.

... ... ...

I stalked down the street, my eyes flicking distrustfully from side to side. I was always nervous in the village, despite the pleasures it offered. My bare feet slid over the ground without a sound, my worn, tattered jeans swishing. People shied away from me, yielding easily, fearfully. I would hurt them, _badly_, and they knew it.

In a sudden flurry of moment, I sand burst from the gourd on my back and threw a person against the brick side of a building. He trembled delightfully under the grains, and I held my face close to his.

"I'm hungry," I said calmly. "Give me money to buy food."

The man nodded breathlessly, groping blindly in his pocket until he found his wallet. He dropped it onto the ground at my feet.

"H-h-here…" he whispered. "T-take it…"

I smiled without feeling. "Good. Now get away from me." I let the sand thrust him to the side, watching coldly as he skidded on the pavement and scrambled away. I picked up his wallet and pulled out the money.

It was a short walk to the nearest ramen stand. The man didn't even wait until I produced the money; he simply grabbed a bowl from another customer- who was running away as quickly as he could –and gave it to me. I didn't bother to say a word, just picked up a pair of chopsticks and started to eat. I noticed quickly enough, thought, that one customer hadn't left, despite the fact that even the ramen cook had vanished. He was a blonde boy, and was staring at me with the most annoying intensity.

"What?" I asked, glowering.

The boy cocked his head. "Who're you?" he asked, his mouth half-full of chewed ramen noodles. "And why do you have a peanut on your back?"

I stood, slowly, forcing myself to keep an icy cool. "It's a gourd! Do you want to die today?"

The boy didn't flinch; he only swallowed his mouthful of ramen and took another bite. "Not really…"

My eyes narrowed. "Really? Because I don't like being watched. So I would suggest you leave."

"But I haven't finished my ramen," he mumbled around more noodles.

I twitched. "You… who the hell are you?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" the boy declared, winking at me. "I'm new here!"

"Of course you are," I grumbled.

Naruto glanced at his now empty ramen bowl, and then at my half-full one. "You gonna eat that?" he asked.

I snapped.

"I was planning on it!" I roared, sand erupting from my gourd.

I was rewarded with a twinge of uncertainty on Naruto's face. The sand roiled, irritated at being woken up again.

"Don't worry," I murmured. "I'm sorry. You'll get some tasty blood, I promise."

Naruto took a step backwards. "Come on, this Ramen place is on campus…! We're not supposed to fight here! What's with you, dude?"

I laughed slightly, though it didn't reach my heart. "I fight where I want to. You better learn that, and _fast_."

The sand lashed out, slicing along the boy's shoulder. Blood- lovely, red blood –spurted from the new wound, and he clutched his shoulder. A moment later, however, the blonde boy launched himself forward, aiming a kick at my head. I didn't move an inch; the sand intercepted the strike and threw Naruto off balance. The boy went sprawling, crashing into the counter. Whipping blood from his mouth, he staggered to his feet.

"You aren't worthy to fight me," I hissed. "You're just a punk, too ignorant to realize he's outmatched. You may die now."

The sand shot forward, wrapping itself around Naruto's legs. The boy shuttered violently, and I felt the vibrations through the sand. I looked eagerly at his face, hoping to find the fear etched into his features.

I was disappointed.

There was no fear; only determination and… sadness…? But, it wasn't sadness for his impending death, it was…

Pity…?

"Ugh!" I felt my heart convulse with sudden pain. W_hy does… he pity me…? _

_Mother… _

"You have… lonely eyes…" the boy murmured as the sand slid back down, withdrawing into my gourd.

"Shut up!" I snarled. My breathing came in harsh gasps. "Uzumaki… Naruto… I'll let you live. But only so that I can hear you _scream…_"

I shuffled into the desert brush, feeling dejected and confused. My chest hurt again… badly. I slumped to the ground, taking comfort in the sand all around me. I clutched at it, breathing deeply.

_Who was that kid…? Uzumaki Naruto … I will kill you… _

The brush rustled with a desert bird, and a hare hopped near the cactus at the edge of my oasis. The bubbling stream ran beside me, and the leafy fronds of a palm danced overhead. This was my home, and I took great solace from it.

No one could understand.

The sand curled around me, creating a nice, protective nest, like mother's arms.

I was alone.

**Not quite…**whispered a voice in my head. **Kya ha ha… **

**(A/N) Nice intro? Purely exposition… so please stick with me. :D **

**Reviews are much appreciated, and rewarded with hints as to what's to come! This fic updates THURSDAYS, so look forward to it! **


	2. CACTI Chapter Two

**(A/N) Yay for the second chapter! Actual plotline kicks in now, thank you very much. … Hopefully. **

**Gaara, meet Lee. Lee, Gaara of the Sand. **

**Thank you so much to my reviewers, Art Witch - Aka Mizu, MidniteCurse4Eternity and GameAmy! It's always those first reviews that give me a great feeling about a new fic! *wipes tears of joy* Anywhos, hope you guys, especially, enjoy the new chapter!**

**I do not own Naruto or any characters featured here. **

I didn't sleep that night. I never slept. If I slept…

Bad things would happen; bad things that I would rather not name.

I rose in the morning from my nest of sand, stretched, and took a drink from the spring. Boredom permeated the air like rot scent, and I yawned absently. Perhaps if I killed someone it would jumpstart my day…

A sound distracted me from that train of thought; it was the sound of…

_That doesn't make sense. _

It _sounded_ like…

Someone was beating up a cactus?

_You tend to hear some weird sounds in the desert, but that is not one of them. _

Hoisting my gourd onto my shoulder, I poked my head around the huge bolder at the edge of my oasis. I felt my eyes widen as the scene played itself out in front of me: there was indeed a strange human in a green jumpsuit in my desert, right at the edge of my oasis. He had ridiculously bushy eyebrows and a bowl cut that made me wince. And he was, indeed, taking out some unexplained anger on an innocent totem pole cactus. A rare sight indeed. With every kick the stranger landed, more thorns lodged in his feet, as with each punch.

As amusing as that was, the desert was my home. It might as well have been sand in my veins as opposed to blood. I didn't take too kindly to the destruction of any desert creature, cacti included. So the sand slunk over, twirling lazily around the stranger's foot.

"The desert doesn't like that," I growled, stepping fully out into the open. "Hit something that can fight back."

The newcomer jumped, making me smirk. Then he seemed to overcome his shock, as they sometimes did, and gave me a thorough once-over. I expected a scream, or perhaps horror as he identified me.

For the second time in as many opponents, I was sorely disappointed.

As recognition dawned in his dark eyes, so did curiosity and a bit of admiration.

"You're… oh yeah! You're… Gaara! Sabaku no Gaara, Gaara of the Sand, right?" he asked eagerly, and I twitched in annoyance. "I've seen you around town! People say you're homeless! Oh… oh! This is where you live? Oh… oh I'm sorry! I didn't know anybody lived out here! I thought it was just a bunch of plants and sand…"

"Shut _up_," I growled, tightening the sand around his leg. A slight smile cocked my lips. "You'll have to be punished, you know? For doing that, I mean."

I saw the newcomer gulp, and smiled to myself. _This should turn out better then yesterday… it should be fun! _

… … …

As I watched Gaara of the Sand, I, surprisingly, felt no fear at all. A twinge of unease, perhaps, at the possessed look in his light blue eyes, but no fear. Even as sand curled around me, I only felt intrigued. I carefully examined him; he looked thin and worn, scuffed up, even. He wore no shirt, only a beat up pair of jeans and a huge gourd slung across his back. His reddish-brown hair fluttered, and the symbol on his forehead, reading 'love,' seemed to glow in the early morning light.

"So you do live here?" I pressed, wanting to learn more.

Gaara tossed his head impatiently. "Yeah. Why do you care?"

I shrugged. "Dunno, just curious."

"Well, don't be curious," he growled. "There's nothing to be curious about."

"Aren't _you_ curious about why I was kicking a cactus?" I asked slyly.

"No," he replied bluntly.

I frowned. "But it's such a good story!"

"No."

"Aw, come on! I wanna tell my story!"

"Don't we all?" Gaara muttered. "Sadly enough, you won't be alive long enough to tell your story."

Sand slunk up higher, closing around my chest, and I suddenly realized what real danger I was in. I held up my hands.

"I'll leave you and your cacti alone, I swear!" I said, trying to move away. _I have a date with Sasuke…! I can't get seriously hurt messing around with this guy…! _

Gaara smirked. "Well, I can't be happy with that. You see, it's been a while since Mother has had any blood, and she and I are both thirsty for some."

That only enticed me further, although part of me knew better. "You aren't alone out here? You've got your mom with you?" I asked, though my mind didn't over look the bit about blood.

Gaara scowled. "Yes! I mean, no! I am alone!"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "But you just said your mom…"

"I know what I said!" the boy snapped angrily, and I felt the sand constrict around my chest. "Just stop talking…!"

I craned my neck, trying to look around him. "Then what's this about you and your mom thirsting for blood?"

Gaara winced, taking a step backwards. "It's alright, Mother…" I heard him whisper to himself, and the sand twitched around me. He reached out a hand, and the grains twined around his fingers. "I'm a good boy, Mother…"

_Is he talking to himself, or… oh gods, is he really talking… to the sand…? _

"Could you… uh… tell your mom to let go of me?" I asked.

Gaara scoffed. "Not a chance, child. She wants your blood to mingle with the sands, as do I."

I winced as the sand tightened another millimeter. My breaths became shallow and quick as I struggled to draw them.

"My blood tastes _horrible,_" I panted. "You know that, right?" I fidgeted inside the sand. "I'm sure your mom wouldn't want it…"

To my acute surprise, the sand actually loosened slightly as Gaara considered this.

"I wouldn't be surprised," he murmured. "What do you think, Mother?"

"She says my blood is nasty!" I said quickly.

"You do not speak to Mother!" Gaara snarled abruptly, and the sand grew tighter than ever. I coughed slightly as I struggled to draw breath.

"I'm sure my lunch would be much tastier!" I blurted in sudden desperation.

Once again, to my surprise, the sand loosened a tiny bit as Gaara cocked his head.

"What's in it?"

"Gui-sensei packed me an apple, a chicken sandwich, and two cookies for dessert!" I said hurriedly and truthfully.

The boy's eyes sparked. "What kind of cookies?"

I tried to ignore what a bizarre turn this conversation had taken. "Chocolate chip!"

"Well… I could kill you and then dig around until I found your lunch…" he mused, nodding thoughtfully.

"I have it hidden really well!" I said quickly. "I hid it so that the animals wouldn't find it!"

Gaara blinked; the very hurriedly-constructed lie seemed to make sense to him. "Alright… alright, I'm sure your lunch would be tastier after all. I'll kill you later."

The sand melted away from all but my ankle, where it formed a sort of shackle, presumably so that I couldn't run away. I glanced from the boy to my foot and back again.

"Lead the way, kid. I don't have all day."

I huffed. "I'm not a kid! I'm sixteen, probably just like you!"

Gaara scoffed. "Strictly speaking, I'm fourteen."

I blinked. _He's… younger than me…? _

"Mentally speaking, I'm thousands of years your elder. Talent wise, too."

My eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Su-ure." _And that's why I was able to talk you out of kill me for a cookie._

Gaara's eyes darkened. "Lunch. _Now_."

I jumped. "Uh… sure!"

… … …

Now, I realize that everything turned out for the best.

At the time, munching on my cookie, suddenly realizing that I had been duped, I felt like the epitome of stupid.

The kid in the jumpsuit had slipped away.

And I was sitting there, happily eating a cookie… like a dope.

**You **_**are**_** an idiot…**Mother commented dryly.

_I thought this day was supposed to be better then yesterday…! _

I rose quickly, on the preverbal war-path. _He's not going to get away like that…! _

My bare feet crunched in the sand as I raced toward the village. The fuzzy-eyebrowed boy lived there, so he must be heading there.

I didn't make it ten yards.

A massive creature flew at me from the left. I wasn't paying the slightest attention to my surroundings, and only the sand saved my life. As it was, I lurched to the side, my stride disrupted. I staggered, off balance, as the thing flew at me again. A dark blur, I couldn't make out what in hell it was. The sand barely made it up in time, though I felt the impact once again.

"D-damn…" I grunted, trying to steady myself. Before I could, the thing barreled into me again. That third time, though, the sand was too slow. I felt claws dig into me, and I _screamed_. Pain flashed through me, and the sand dragged the attacker off of me.

And then the attack came from inside my own mind. "M-mother…" I whimpered, clawing desperately at my own head, pulling at my hair. My brain felt like it was bleeding inside my skull, torn apart my invisible claws.

There was to be no respite; the creature was upon me again. I gagged, coughing up blood, unable to dodge or counter. The sand quivered, immobilized by my extreme internal turmoil.

And yet, an awfully frivolous thought crossed my mind: _Today is just _not_ turning out well_.

I cringed as far back into the immobile sand as I could, my eyes wide with shock.

And then the beast was gone.

An indistinct shape darted by me, slamming into the creature with explosive ferocity. I winced back even further at the sound _crack_ that the hit made.

My mind seemed to explode.

I doubled over, not recognizing my own voice screaming in pain. I wasn't really aware of anything, in fact, before two hands rested on my shoulders.

"Gaara? Gaara-kun, are you alright?"

I looked up, fighting my hazy vision. It was the same boy from earlier, the one with the bowl cut and furry eyebrows. I blinked, swooning in pain.

"Why…?" I asked softly.

I never received my reply, because my ears filled with white noise and the world slid away, swallowed by an inky black wave.

... … …

Gaara of the Sand went limp. His eyes remained open, though, flickering with strange lights and half-formed images. The sand curled around him protectively, cradling him as he shuttered. I brushed the red-brown hair away from his face.

For all his power…

_What was that thing? _

It had yielded so easily to my strength, and yet… it had immobilized Gaara? _That hardly makes sense…_

I sat down heavily beside the sand. Whatever he called 'mother' allowed me to remain, watching over him until his eyes cleared. He sat up blearily, shaking his head repeatedly; he blinked, and then his eyes found me.

"You're…"

I nodded. "Yeah. Do you know what that thing was?"

He shook his head. "No idea."

We sat in silence for a moment; it was defiantly not a comfortable silence like one that you would share with a friend, but an awkward one. I shifted and opened my mouth, but closed it again.

"… I never got your name," Gaara said finally.

I smiled. "Why, I'm the handsome blue beast, Rock Lee!"

Gaara shrugged off my theatrics. "Lee-san, then."

"Lee-kun," I corrected him.

"Very well, then, Lee-kun," he conceded. "I suppose I should thank you for… saving me. Thank you," he finished lamely.

I nodded approvingly. "No problem, really."

"Why?" he asked at last, reiterating the question that he had asked before he blacked out.

I shrugged. "I was still around… I couldn't just walk away."

"So duty?" he asked.

I shrugged again. "Sort of. More my own personal code." I sighed. "Gui-sensei taught that to me… the personal code… the shinobi way…"

Gaara twitched. "Gui… sensei…? I've heard of that guy. He's a skilled ninja… but he wastes it at that stupid academy."

I bristled. "The Academy isn't stupid!" I snapped.

"I suppose you attend," he murmured, drawing his legs up to his body and hugging them like and insecure child.

I blinked. "Well, yeah… yeah I do."

Gaara sighed in an almost wistful way. "You're all fools… you, your sensei… everyone in that village."

"Don't call my sensei a fool!" I insisted, my insides on fire.

"You all want other people around you," Gaara elaborated. "Other people are useless… no, not useless. Their one and only use is to be _killed_. Killing other people is the greatest feeling in the world. If you get attached to those you wish to kill, then it takes the fun out of killing them."

I shuttered at his line of thought.

"If you get attached to them," he continued, "then you become weak. Other people, friends, family, are only liabilities." He glanced at me. "I assume you know Temari and Kankuro?"

I blinked, not seeing where he was going. "Yeah…"

"They're my siblings by blood."

My mouth dropped open. "They're y-your… what now?" I swayed in surprise. "They… they're one of the richest families in town! They're… you're the Kazekage's son?"

Gaara shrugged. "I left when I was six. I came to live here, _alone_. And that has made me strong." He clenched his fist, and the sand around us reacted. "But I wasn't strong enough… whatever that thing was… now I am bonded to another person." He captured my gaze, his pale blue eyes intense and solemn. "You. I'm bonded to you though a debt of gratitude. I owe you my existence, and that makes my insides squirm."

In that instant, a spark of concentrated hatred lit his eyes, and I gulped. It was gone, though, as quickly as it had appeared, and he stood.

"I'll escort you out of the desert," he said briskly. "Shall we get going?"

I nodded, getting up slowly.

_Gaara of the Sand…_

_What pain have you been though?_

**(A/N) Yay. I like this chapter. **

**Any guesses at what- or who –Gaara's attacker was? I wouldn't expect any at this point… but be thinking about it! **

**Reviewers are loved. Updates THURSAYS! **


	3. CACTI Chapter 3

**(A/N) Pretty long chapter. Took forever to get right. :/ **

**Anywhos, Gaara and Lee are once thrown together. Poor Gaara. xD **

**A thousand thanks to MidniteCurse4Eternity and Art Witch - Aka Mizu for the reviews! **

**I don't own Naruto. **

"Now, my darling Lee," Gui-sensei lectured, "when you go up against Sasuke, you'll be in for the fight of your life! But you can do it! I know you can! What you need the most are speed and precision; power will come naturally with those two."

I nodded briskly, scribbling down his wise words in my notebook. Determination burned inside me, and my eyes never left Gui-sensei.

"You may have to resort to the forbidden technique, the Reverse Lotus!"

I started. "Are you sure, Gui-sensei?" I asked tentatively.

He nodded gravely. "Absolutely. This is your ninja way, Lee. This is your honor and future on the line. I am absolutely certain."

I nodded, a shadow of apprehension and excitement coming into my heart. _The Reverse Lotus…! _

Suddenly, Gui-sensei twitched, his attention diverted to the side of the training clearing. "Lee… we are being watched…"

I jumped, swiveling to face the bushes. I couldn't detect any movement, but apparently Gui-sensei could.

"I'll be right back," he murmured, and stalked dramatically forward. I watched, entranced by his jaguar-like movements as he crept toward the bushes.

"Hiya!" he cried, diving into the bushes to pounce on the unsuspecting enemy.

The bushes rustled madly for a moment, and two shapes rolled out, tussling.

"Ouch!" cried Gui-sensei, shoving at the intruder and grabbing him by the collar.

"It's me, it's me!" Gaara of the Sand growled. "Lee-kuuuuun… get him off me, or I'll really hurt him, I swear!"

I yelped in alarm, fully aware that he would follow through with such threats. "Guy-sensei, Guy-sensei, its okay! He's my friend!"

Guy-sensei clambered obediently off of the teen, who picked himself up and brushed himself off.

"Feh. You're lucky… I was actually trying not to hurt him," Gaara grumbled, his sand retreating back into his gourd. "Another second and I wouldn't have held back."

Lee trotted forward to greet me, reminding me acutely of a puppy. His idiot of a mentor glanced between us, confused. I enjoyed his bewildered expression, not bothering with an explanation.

"Why are you here?" Lee asked curiously, and I shifted awkwardly.

"I heard your annoying chatter and decided to see what you were doing," I grunted. "If you were killing another cactus…"

His mentor cocked his head. "Cactus?"

"You don't need to know," I said, turning my back to him. "I couldn't help but overhear; you're training to take on Uchiha Sasuke?"

Lee nodded, suddenly serious.

"Well of course you couldn't help but overhear!" the idiot sensei snapped. "You were hiding in the bushes spying on me and my charming Lee! Are you stalking him? Did you watch him in the shower last night?"

I gagged.

Lee turned bright red at the thought. "No! … You weren't, were you…?"

"No!" I yelled, horrified and mortified at the turn the conversation had taken. I shot the elder ninja a glare. "You two are trespassing; this is my home. I have every right to lurk in whatever bushes I want here. In fact, I have the right to kill you both. Luckily for you, I won't do that."

The older ninja shook his head, suddenly on the defensive. "We apologize for encroaching on your home," he said seriously, and I gained just the tiniest bit of respect for him.

"I have a debt to repay," I said, choosing my words carefully, "to your student. Tell me, how much is this match worth to you?"

Lee looked at me with such conviction that I felt myself moved, if ever so slightly. "Everything. More than my life."

"Good. Then if I help you to win, my debt will be repaid. Is that acceptable?" I asked. I was eager to get this whole business behind me and sever all ties with this Lee.

Lee's eyes lit up. "You'll help me win?"

I nodded carefully. "Of course."

The next thing I knew, Lee had practically thrown himself onto me and was half-sobbing into my bare chest. I jumped, shoving half-heartedly at him.

"Thank yo-o-ou!" he blubbered gratefully. "Thank you so muuuuuch, Gaara-kuuuuun!"

His sensei came up beside me, clutching at the air as tears poured down his face. "Thank you, Gaara of the Sand…! Thank you for helping my darling student achieve his dream…!"

I scowled, but found it more a smile then a scowl. I glanced up at the sky.

"What a bunch of freaks," I murmured.

"Wait… you can't use ninjitsu?" Gaara blurted in shock.

I nodded shyly. "Nope. Only taijutsu."

Gaara spun, turning his back to me and beginning to pace. "What have I gotten myself into?" he asked himself mournfully. "Can't use ninjitsu… what in hell can I teach you?"

"Taijutsu?" I suggested helpfully.

Gaara roared in frustration, very nearly banging his head against his gourd. I stifled a laugh.

"This isn't funny!" snapped Gaara, and I bit down on my chuckling. "I'm not good at taijutsu! The sand protects me before anything can get close enough for me to need it!"

"Except for that shadow beast," I reminded him.

He turned such a death-glare on me that I thought it best to overlook that little detail for now.

I sighed heavily. "Alright… alright. Let's see what we can do." I massaged my forehead absently. "Come at me."

Lee blinked. "Come at you?" he repeated dumbly.

I hissed slightly in annoyance. "Yes. I need to see where you are and what you are capable of."

Lee nodded, taking up a typical taijutsu stance. I looked him up and down and nodded approvingly.

He struck quickly, so quick that it surprised even me. I had seen his skill briefly (when he was beating up my poor cactus), and was aware of the speed and precision of his movement. Still, this made me rethink just how serious an opponent this kid could be.

Be that as it may, he never stood a chance against me. The sand rose up easily to intercept his kick, and I didn't even need to move. Lee stumbled back, looking a bit frustrated.

"I said come at me," I said. "That didn't mean only once; keep trying."

Lee surprised me once again. Instead of racing toward me again, he knelt to the ground, fiddling with those horrid orange legwarmers of his. For a ninja in training… he seemed color blind.

Removing the legwarmers revealed a set of weights. I let out a little huff of surprise; I could see the numbers on them, and that amount of weight was nothing to scoff at. Used to carrying the extra weight of my gourd, I realized exactly how much quicker he would be when his legs were that much lighter.

_This might work after all,_ I thought with a slight grin.

Lee rolled his ankles experimentally. "That's a relief," he sighed. Then, he straightened. "Here I come!"

He simply vanished.

For a second, panic clutched at me, and I pivoted wildly. A moment later, however, I realized that it was useless as the sand swished up just in time to block a deadly kick. Another struck, an instant later, on the opposite side of me.

_There!_ I identified a green blur on the landscape, spotting him just in time to avoid a punch aimed at my face. Then he was back on the move, out of my range of vision and across the clearing.

"How's _that_?" he huffed, face flushed with excitement.

I nodded, trying to calm my heart. "That was… amazing," I answered truthfully. I was so used to opponents that I didn't have to even think about to defeat… this Lee was something else entirely. I wondered for a moment, idly, who would win if we fought for real. "You may be amazing," I said quickly, "but so is Sasuke. You can't settle for where you are now to defeat him. You have no ninjitsu at all?"

Lee shook his head. "None. But I do have some pretty impressive moves."

I cocked my head. "Show me."

Lee shook his head again. "No way. I couldn't do that to you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Lee… kun… I have complete confidence that you won't be able to hit me. And I need to see what you can do."

Still looking uncertain, Lee took up his stance again. The tape that he always wore around his lower arms unraveled slightly.

"Secondary Lotus!" he declared like a battle cry, and I swore I felt the ground tremble, ever so slightly.

Lee _flew_ at me. There was no other way to describe it. The boy rocketed forward, faster than either my eye or my sand could follow. He _plowed_ into me, sending us both barreling backwards. But it was obvious that he would not, or perhaps could not, rein in his power now. I felt my back pummeled by his feet, and then his fist punched a hole in my face.

"Oof…!" I grunted, tumbling backwards. The sand broke my fall, but I was all too aware that the sand I wore like a second skin was peeling off.

I must have looked like my skin itself was cracking.

I felt adrenalin flood me, excitement churning my mind. _This_ I could enjoy. "Let's keep at it," I murmured. I whipped up my sand into an offensive position. "Lee!" I shouted a short warning, as I didn't exactly want to kill him (well, I kind of did, but…) and then tore across the clearing.

Lee flickered from side to side, almost instantly overwhelming my senses. I twisted, but couldn't avoid the small boy as he slammed into me head on. I found myself abruptly cocooned in his bandages, and my eyes shot wide open. And then we were spiraling downwards.

I felt my heart speed with panic, and my whole body tensed. Exhilaration tore through my body; I hadn't had a fight like this in an eternity! I had been wounded twice in my life before this supposedly mock battle, one of which being by the shadow beast earlier. And I found this intense combat nothing short of euphoric.

Or was that Mother…? Or perhaps… both of us.

My mind snapped back to the problem at hand: meeting the ground head on. I twisted in the bandages, writing so that I slid like a cat out of my sand shell. In doing so, I slipped away from Lee and dropped safely to the ground. Lee, on the other hand, went straight into the ground, and I couldn't stifle a soft cry of dismay; we were training in the clearing that I lived in, after all. Sand sprayed everywhere, and several plants were uprooted.

Lee bounded out of the wreckage, staring in shock at the shell that I had left behind in my place. I could tell that he had no idea that I had slipped free. His expression intensified to horror as said shell began to crumble, caving in on itself.

"Gaara?" Lee exclaimed, and I stifled a snort of laughter.

"Right here," I hissed, rapping him firmly on the back of the head, harder, perhaps, than I should have.

"Gaara-kun!" squeaked Lee, spinning to face me. "Was that a…? Were you…? Wait… what…?"

This time I couldn't help but laugh. "Let's do that again," I said, choosing to leave him in the dark about exactly what had just happened; it was far too amusing not too.

"How I got through your defenses was because you favor your left foot slightly," I told Lee. "It gives me a hint at where you're going to strike. You need to eliminate that hesitation, or your enemy will be able to see through your attack."

Lee nodded, scribbling down notes in his little notebook. The notebook annoyed the hell out of me; I had half a mind to take it away from him.

There was a rustling in the creosote bushes, and the sand prickled. I tensed, pivoting to face the sound and sending the sand out in front of me. Lee instantly quieted, lowering the notebook. A second later, though, it became obvious that the person in the bushes was not a threat.

"Ooh! Oh, damnit! More sand? What the…? Aw crap, sand in my shoes, sand in my hair… sand in my underpants! What is with this place…? It's just full of sand!"

_Oh no… oh no please not him… _I thought, the voice clicking with a memory in my mind.

A shape fell through the creosote, and I winced at the snapping of branches. The fragrant scent of creosote blood wafted around the clearing, and I added one more thing to my list of qualms with Uzumaki Naruto.

"Oh! Naruto-kun!" called Lee, and I very nearly slapped myself.

"You know this guy?" I growled as Lee hurried over to where Naruto had fallen.

"Yes!" Lee chirped. "He's in my class at the academy!"

I groaned internally. "Then I take it I can't kill him." It wasn't a question, really. I had figured out that Lee didn't take too kindly to my threatening to kill _anyone_, even the occasional hobo, which was annoying to no end.

Lee shook his head. "Oh no!" He knelt beside Naruto. "Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun! Are you alright, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto stirred. "Uh…? Bushy Brows…?"

I snorted. "Nice nickname. It suits you."

Naruto peered around Lee and spotted me. "And… you… who were you again…?"

I folded my arms, glaring at him. "Someone who wants you dead, _very badly_."

"Gaara-kun!" Lee chided, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'll kill him if I want to!" I snapped.

"Gaara-kun, then?" Naruto asked.

"No!" I snapped. "Stay out of this!" I turned back to Lee. "You've been getting awfully bossy lately, and it's really starting to piss me off."

"Well it's not my fault when you keep wanting to kill people!" Lee answered honestly. "I've got to tell you not to!"

"And I don't have to obey you," I objected. "Case in point." I allowed the sand to curl around Naruto. "I could kill him at any minute, and you would have nothing to say about it."

"But you won't," Lee countered.

"Don't try me."

"I don't think you should try him," Naruto, still wrapped in my sand, piped up.

"Stay out of this, please." This time it was Lee.

"I've agreed to train you, but I haven't agreed to anything else. And you better believe that as soon as this fight is over, as soon as my debt if payed, I'm out of here!" I snapped, my blood starting to boil.

"I know that you won't," Lee sniffed. "You actually enjoy the company."

"I'd much rather be alone in my desert," I growled, "as opposed to sharing it with an over-zealous idiot and a blundering dunce that stomp around my oasis without the slightest respect for the desert!" I motioned wildly at the creosote plant. "Did it do anything to you?"

"Ooh, heaven forbid we step on your plants!" Lee sniffed sarcastically. "You want to be alone with your sand!"

"Yeah, I do!" I growled, letting the sand tighten around Naruto. The blonde boy stiffened.

"You guys want me to stay out of it…" he said slowly.

"Shut up," I growled.

"Please, be silent!" Lee hissed at the same moment.

"You want to go? For real this time?" I asked, almost eagerly. All the arguing had got me, and Mother within me, longing for blood.

"Yes!" Lee answered instantly. "And I will beat you!"

"Uh… guys…?" Naruto spoke up again, and I was so tempted to just crush him and be done with it. Instead, I let the sand slip away from him and coil back into my gourd.

"Wouldn't want to get hurt," I growled, shoving the blonde boy in the chest and away from us. I took up a stance, facing Lee. "Bring it on, Bushy Brows."

"Oh, so you're going to start now?" Lee asked.

I smirked. "What can I say? It fits you."

Lee, with a cry that I had never heard in practice bouts, threw himself into action. In an instant I was forced to deploy every grain of sand I had for defense. His fists and feet struck again and again, but this time, not one made it though. I slashed at him with the sand, but he skipped backwards, avoiding the blow.

The ninja in training shook his legs forcefully, dislodging the weights he wore. The plunked down in the sand, leaving rather large craters. The look on his face told me that he was serious, and I actually doubted my ability to beat him for a moment. Then, Mother within me roared to life, spurring me onwards. I drew up a shield around myself and lashed out at my opponent.

Lee easily avoided my attack, swiveling around, his path marked only by the sand he kicked up. Then, his path was marked by the more then painful punch that he landed on my jaw.

I flew backwards, the sand catching me before I hit the ground. I glanced up, a wicked smile plastered on my face.

"I like you after all!" I laughed. "You make me feel _alive_!"

Lee struck me again, and again after that, sand peeling off my face like dead flesh. I felt the breath leave my body as the boy I was training landed a tremendous, double-footed kick right in my stomach, making me gag. The sand simply couldn't keep up.

But there was sand all around us, including under every step Lee too.

I wrapped a tendril of sand around Lee's ankle, stopping the boy's forward motion. He fell flat on his face, making me chuckle darkly. Kicking uselessly at the shackle I had wrapped around his leg, he struggled feebly in the sand.

That was the first time I noticed it; his weakness. He was getting _weaker _as we trained.

Of course, I didn't realize that at the moment, only when I look back on the story now. Then, I had only bloody thoughts in my mind.

"This was a real fight, right?" I asked sadistically, drawing the sand up around his legs. "That means real consequences, right? How about a broken limb or two?"

Lee looked up at me, half frightened, half defiant. I was long past recognizing him as anything close to a friend; he was my enemy, one to be killed.

"Stop!"

An orange blur intercepted me, stepping between Lee and I. I looked at Uzumaki Naruto in shock.

"You're… defending him…?" I asked softly. A sharp stab of pain in my head made me wince and draw back.

"Yeah, I am," Naruto said bravely.

I shook my head sharply, coming to my senses. "Lee… kun," I mumbled. "Oh, crap I'm sorry…" I shoved Naruto forcefully away, crouching down in front of the boy in the sand. With an effort, I made it relax, releasing him. "S-sorry…" I murmured, offering my hand.

Lee, to my surprise, smiled warmly. "No harm done," he said, taking my hand.

I looked at Naruto briefly, and then focused on his shoes. "Thanks," I grumbled reluctantly, "for stopping me."

Naruto blinked, obviously not getting all of what had just taken place. "Uh… no problem."

I narrowed my eyes in pain, on hand still holding Lee's, the other on my head. "Now get out of my desert," I ordered roughly, wanting the orange-clad boy as far away as I could.

Naruto squared his shoulders. "Nope! I'm so curious about what's going on here! Let me stay, come on, come on!"

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, scrunching my still-cracked face. It must have looked quite unpleasant. My thoughts were unpleasant, too… even to me. I was internally debating the repercussions of just killing him now.

And yet…

"I owe you…" I grumbled, wanting to slap myself. "Fine, fine! Just… stay out of the way!"

Naruto sat obediently down… right on top of my poor prickly pear. Now, I should have felt sorry for Naruto… but I didn't. I felt sorry for my cactus. And I had to keep from laughing when Naruto bounced about ten feet in the air, yelping all the way.

"Naruto-kun!" Lee exclaimed, jumping back when the orange ninja landed at his feet.

**Do you think he'll come down? **Mother asked.

"Oooowwwwwwww!" Naruto wailed, twisting around to try and see his own backside, which was covered in spines. It looked painful. "Gaara-kuuuuuuun… how do you _live _here?"

"I've never gotten a wound from a cactus," I said, almost gloating. "They like me." To prove it, I went over and pet the cactus that Naruto had crushed, straightening it out carefully and fixing it up. I came away without a single spine in my hands.

"You're not human," Naruto grumbled, trying to pull out the thorns in his bottom.

"Not entirely," I answered easily. I noticed that Lee was trying to help and grimaced. "Lee-kun, don't touch that. You don't know where it's been."

Naruto glared at me indignantly, but cried out as Lee pulled out another pricker. I scowled lightly, drawing a wave of sand over Naruto and sweeping the spines out… perhaps a bit more painfully then strictly necessary.

Naruto sat up, only to discover what I would have warned him about… maybe.

"It should hurt when you sit for a while," I informed him, a bit late.

Naruto whimpered and nodded, leaning on his hands in a half-crouch to try and spare his sore behind. I returned to the middle of the clearing.

"Lee! The daylight it fading!" I called sharply. "If we want to get anymore work done, we should do it."

Lee bounced up. "Yeah!" he called, punching the air. "Let's do this!"

**(A/N) Notice the parallels? Hopefully? Anyways, please tell me how I did! Hope you enjoyed, and look forward to next Thursday's update! **


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